Surrounding towns want voice in Taunton casino debate

Expressing fears over the impacts a tribal casino in Taunton could have on their communities, officials from several surrounding towns urged the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to address their concerns floated the idea of a comprehensive regional study on the proposed development’s likely effects.

Expressing fears over the impacts a tribal casino in Taunton could have on their communities, officials from several surrounding towns urged the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to address their concerns floated the idea of a comprehensive regional study on the proposed development’s likely effects.

“I think the intent is for this to be an open and transparent process,” said state Rep. Keiko Orrall, R-Lakeville. “At this point, it hasn’t been.”

Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby attended the Lakeville forum Thursday at Orrall’s request. The meeting, which was scheduled last week, fell just one day after Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration announced it had completed a compact with the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, which is seeking to build a tribal casino in East Taunton.

“I’m a little disappointed,” Berkley Selectman Steve Castellina said. “They came out with a compact, and it may be a pretty good compact, but they had no input from us.”

Officials from several surrounding towns said they feel like they’ve been shut out of the compact negotiations and expressed concern that the state isn’t hearing their concerns.

“We ask that we have a seat at the table,” Norton Selectman Bob Kimball said.

Under the terms of the compact, the tribe would pay the state 21.5 percent of gross gaming revenue from the casino. The Gaming Commission would then use that money for investments in transportation, mitigation and other areas. Of that amount 6.5 percent would be designated for community mitigation. That could mean approximately $7 million per year coming to the South Coast, Crosby said.

“That’s not chump change,” he said.

The Gaming Commission, he added, has the power to determine which communities qualify as “surrounding communities” eligible for mitigation funds.

He advised the community leaders that through cooperation and thoughtful preparation, that they stand a good chance of protecting their interests.

“You are stronger as a group than as a group of individuals,” he told them.

The town officials expressed concerns that their public safety services, water infrastructure, roadways, schools and housing and public safety services may be strained by a $500 million casino development in East Taunton. The borders of some towns, such as Raynham and Berkley, lie less than two miles from the proposed casino site.

Many officials said they expect their communities to be home to hundreds or thousands of casino employees, a number of whom may not speak English. That would stress the ELL services in the schools, they said.

“If the population increases too much, then we’d have to build a new school,” Castellina said. “That would be a huge burden to us.”

Water infrastructure was of particular concern to Lakeville Selectman Derek Maksy. The Assawompset Pond complex, a system of several ponds and reservoirs in Lakeville, serves as a municipal water source for several communities. He said he’s concerned that the proposed casino development, which includes plans for a water park, would draw too much water from the pond complex.

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“Assawompset Pond provides water to New Bedford, Taunton, Lakeville,” Maksy said. “When you have a casino like this — we’re talking water parks — how do you protect the residents first?”